Unknown

Unknown by Ginays65 posted Apr 10, 2019 at 8:02 PM

 

Can anyone help in identifying this figurine for me please as I am unsure but know it's around 70 years old

 

Welcome, @Ginays65 !

He looks like Little Boy Blue, as in the famous nursery rhyme. Here is one version of the rhyme, and the one I've heard the most often:

Little boy blue,
Come blow your horn,
The sheep's in the meadow,
The cow's in the corn.
But where is the boy
Who looks after the sheep?
He's under a haystack,
Fast asleep.

I just also looked for "little boy blue" ceramic figurine through a Google search and looking at the image results, there are a lot of different ones!

Does yours have any maker's mark?

 

No it haßnt any marks I think looking at it he should of been stood on something

 

Ok will do now thankyou

 

I have tried to add more photos but keeps saying error file to large any idea what am doing wrong

 

Yes am using me phone

 

Will try now thanks

 

I think that suit and lace collar are more Spanish...

 

Thanks alot

 

I was thinking maybe German

 

Other possible sources of inspiration. Note that none of them includes a trumpet..

The Blue Boy painting by Gainsborough has the collar.




This painting by Goya has a similar sash (somewhat different with a bow), but the collar is a different style:




And there was the "Little Lord Fauntleroy" craze of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when lots of little boys (and some girls, especially actresses as at the right) were dressed in outfits like this:



The inspiration for the piece could have been any of these, or none of them in particular. If he is not supposed to be Little Boy Blue maybe the company who made it had some other idea in mind.

 

I can't escape the idea I've seen this child in a painting... but whatever, I can't find him!

The Goya costume comes closest to what I had in mind. French boys' clothing (royal) in mid to late 18th century was similar. Longer pants, lace collars and cuffs, with and without sashes.

But I don't think it's a Fauntleroy costume...

He's a festive little character - but don't even get me started on that hat!?

 

I think the horn establishes him as Little Boy Blue. I am finding more things that are similar by looking for dolls than by looking for figurines.

 

There is a little boy blue British nursery rhyme that involves a horn, and I don't know about dolls... But I don't think this lends itself to a British nursery rhyme... Or the Gainsborough portrait...

A mark would be helpful!

 

Little Boy Blue? Yes, of course. He's been depicted in various period costumes over time.

Debora

 

Amidst all this great input - what's this made of? chalkware?